From Magpul's Facebook page...

In addition to the national battle to protect our firearms rights, many states are currently engaged in their own fights. Here in CO, a state with a strong heritage of firearm and other personal freedoms, we are facing some extreme challenges to firearms rights. We have been engaged in dialogue with legislators here presenting our arguments to stop legislation from even being introduced, but our efforts did not deter those of extreme views.

After the NRAs visit last week, several anti-freedom bills were introduced by CO legislators, and a very aggressive timeline has been set forth in moving these bills forward.

The bills include:
HB 1229, Background checks for Gun Transfers--a measure to prohibit private sales between CO residents, and instead require a full FFL transfer, including a 4473.

HB 1228, Payment for Background Checks for Gun Transfers-- a measure that would require CO residents to pay for the back logged state-run CBI system (currently taking 3 times the federally mandated wait time for checks to occur) instead of using the free federal NICS checks.

And finally, HB 1224, Prohibiting Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines--a measure that bans the possession, sale, or transfer of magazines over 10 round capacity. The measures and stipulations in this bill would deprive CO residents of the value of their private property by prohibiting the sale or transfer of all magazines over 10 rounds. This bill would also prohibit manufacture of magazines greater than 10 rounds for commercial sale out of the state, and place restrictions on the manufacture of military and law enforcement magazines that would cripple production.

We'd like to ask all CO residents to please contact your state legislators and the members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to kill these measures in committee, and to vote NO if they reach the floor.

We also ask you to show your support for the 2nd Amendment at the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb 12, for the magazine ban committee hearing and Wednesday,
Feb 13, for the hearing on the other measures.

Due to the highly restrictive language in HB 1224, if passed, and we remained here, this measure would require us to cease PMAG production on July 1, 2013.

In short, Magpul would be unable to remain in business as a CO company, and the over 200 jobs for direct employees and nearly 700 jobs at our subcontractors and suppliers would pick up and leave CO. Due to the structure of our operations, this would be entirely possible, hopefully without significant disruption to production.

The legislators drafting these measures do so in spite of the fact that nothing they are proposing will do anything to even marginally improve public safety in CO, and in fact, will leave law-abiding CO residents less able to defend themselves, strip away rights and property from residents who have done nothing wrong, and send nearly 1000 jobs and millions in tax revenue out of the state.

We like CO, we want to continue to operate in CO, but most of all, we want CO to remain FREE.

Please help us in this fight, and let your voices be heard!

We have included the contact information for the House Judiciary committee for your convenience:

Saw this yesterday. It'd be awful if Magpul had to move, but it's good to see that they'd be able to if they had to.

Akita1

February 11, 2013, 10:52 AM

Magpul is welcome in FL any time they're ready. No state income tax for their employees, RKBA-friendly, great hunting/fishing, good weather, beaches…and the happiest place on Earth is right in the middle! I'd go work for them in a heartbeat.

berettaprofessor

February 11, 2013, 11:04 AM

Magpul is welcome in Kansas! Just a short hop skip and jump for those employees and a much friendlier attitude!

InkEd

February 11, 2013, 11:53 AM

Bring MagPul to Tennessee!

We respect the 2A, the cost of living is low, Memphis is the FEDEX distribution hub center (can't get any faster shipping than that) and new jobs are always welcome too. Maybe they could buy a building near our wonderful BARRETT headquarters.

JohnnyK

February 11, 2013, 12:02 PM

Texas would love Magpul also!

CoRoMo

February 11, 2013, 12:12 PM

They would simply slip north into Wyoming; easy, close by, business friendly.

TIMC

February 11, 2013, 12:13 PM

Texas would be a good move for them; that way there would be no import fees when we secede from the US! :evil:

jaxbeach904

February 11, 2013, 12:17 PM

I second bringing MAGPUL to FL. They should bail anyways, its not going to get any easier. :neener:

Texshooter

February 11, 2013, 12:32 PM

Wonder about their leadership.

What are they waiting for?

I saw another post (course, we all know the Net is always true:D) that said Magpul leaders had contributed in no small part money to several Libtard politicians. IDK

19-3Ben

February 11, 2013, 05:51 PM

Wonder about their leadership.

What are they waiting for?

If they make the threat, "We will leave if you do X," there is incentive not to do X. If they simply up and move, then the politicians can do X because there is no reason not to at that point.

By threatening but not acting yet, they can exert more influence and possibly help to save CO from the same fate as NY and as what we are facing here in CT.

mrvco

February 11, 2013, 06:51 PM

Wonder about their leadership.

What are they waiting for?

I saw another post (course, we all know the Net is always true:D) that said Magpul leaders had contributed in no small part money to several Libtard politicians. IDK
Well right... that's all we have right now here in Colorado. Hopefully that money was well spent on a "no" vote despite their "libtard" status.

xjsnake

February 11, 2013, 10:21 PM

Good for Magpul

mrvco

February 11, 2013, 10:52 PM

Mis-posted this earlier...

I know I'm not completely in lockstep with some of the thinking here and I did not try to make this a talking-points laundry-list or a snarky rhetorical excercise, but I just sent the following to the committee members and cc'd the Governor:

Dear Colorado State Representatives,

I am a law abiding resident of Colorado, property owner and small business owner. I live and work in -redacted-. I am not a hunter, however I do participate in competitive and recreational shooting on a regular basis. I am also a responsible CCW permit holder and possess firearms for home and self defense.

One of the reasons that I chose to make my home and living here in Colorado is because it has traditionally had a strong heritage of firearm and other personal freedoms (Even though I am not a "user" (MMJ or otherwise), I am very proud of the fact that Colorado is one of two states beginning the end of Marijuana Prohibition in this country and hopefully bringing some sanity to the complete and total failure that is the "War on Drugs"). I am very concerned about these three bills that you will be reviewing in the Judiciary Committee over the coming days, HB 1229, HB 1228 and HB 1224.

Regarding HB 1229 - The background check system does not need to be further burdened by requiring full FFL transfers between private parties. All this does is penalize law-abiding citizens. Criminals will still be able to acquire firearms through straw-buyers and other illegal channels without a background check. If anything the background check system needs to be improved and made more efficient by decoupling the background check component from the actual firearm transaction. This would reduce the cost of doing business for FFL-holders and give private party sellers the ability to verify that a private party buyer may legally own the firearm he or she intends to purchase. Today, my CCW Permit serves this purpose for my private-party transactions. I propose that a buyer should be able to request a document showing a valid NICS background check, valid for some number of months or years, that could then be shown to and filed by an FFL holder or private party seller for their own protection. This document would also include a hashed code that could be reconciled to a valid Driver's License or CCW Permit and verified by the seller on-line or by telephone to guarantee its authenticity and continued validity. A simple and elegant solution that would improve the system rather than cause it to deteriorate further.

Regarding HB 1228 - I actually don't have a problem with the firearms industry financially supporting the infrastructure needed for safe and legal transactions. Certainly the current 7-14 day backlog is untenable on a variety of levels. However I do have a problem with paying for something to be done in Colorado that I have already paid for with my tax dollars at the Federal level through the Federal NICS Check. This is just a pointless waste of time and money at the state level that should have been done away with long ago.

Regarding HB 1224 - Banning and criminalizing the possession of magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds by law-abiding citizens makes no practical sense whatsoever. Magazine capacity limitations have not stopped or even slowed down any of these psychotic mass shooters. The VA Tech shooter had no problem carrying around a backpack full of "standard capacity" magazines and managed to kill 32 people through multiple magazine changes. Even with the significant amount of planning he put into his murder-spree, he did not bother purchasing readily available magazines for his handguns w/ 2-3x more capacity than the ones he used. Other mass shootings have shown that the shooters are more than capable of carrying multiple weapons to augment their firepower, specific examples include the "Aurora Shooter" who carried and used a shotgun in addition to his semi-automatic rifle, the "Sandy Hook Shooter" who carried two handguns in addition to his semi-automatic rifle and the "Columbine Shooters" who carried multiple firearms AND detonated homemade bombs. A statewide magazine ban would not be any more effective than the current ban has been in Denver and Aurora, but it would serve to criminalize law-abiding citizens such as myself and drive businesses and jobs from the state (I believe that you'll be hearing from Magpul in the coming days, a company that would have to relocate their 200+ jobs to a more favorable state immediately if HB 1224 were to pass).

Thank you for your time and I hope that you chose to do the rational thing for Colorado rather than the emotional one.

US Citizen, Colorado Resident and Taxpayer,

mokin

February 11, 2013, 11:02 PM

I prefer you stay in Colorado. We need the support. Thanks for the list. Just e mailed all of them.

Leanwolf

February 11, 2013, 11:04 PM

MagPul is welcome here in Idaho. We're not overrun with a bunch of far left whacked out emotional, stupid politicians the way Colorado has become.

L.W.

coloradokevin

February 11, 2013, 11:10 PM

Hey, we'd love to keep Magpul here in our great state! We just have to get some of these fools in the state legislature to stop acting so stupid.

slamfirev10

February 11, 2013, 11:14 PM

In short, Magpul would be unable to remain in business as a CO company, and the over 200 jobs for direct employees and nearly 700 jobs at our subcontractors and suppliers would pick up and leave CO. Due to the structure of our operations, this would be entirely possible, hopefully without significant disruption to production.

we have this waiting for you Magpul, et.al.....
http://www.txtraders.com/images/metalsignwasntborntx.jpg

soloban

February 11, 2013, 11:16 PM

We've got room in Huntsville, AL in Research Park. They should expand here and double production :)

Hardtarget

February 11, 2013, 11:22 PM

Then VOTE out the stupid ones and VOTE IN people that will stick to the constitution! We need to look closely at our state congress critters here in Tennessee as well.

We have lots of empty manufacturing space and unemployed workers here in Missouri!!! Come On Down!!!

SouthernYankee

February 12, 2013, 12:33 PM

NW FL. is a wonderful place to Work and Live with so many positives: No Income tax, CST, Firearm friendly, Available work force at very competitive costs, Aggressive pro business Counties/Municipalities, Beautiful Environment and Quality of life. Come to where you'll be welcome and what you produce will be appreciated.

Yeah, relocate to El Dorado and your children will get their college education paid for.

Rottweiler

February 12, 2013, 04:02 PM

Texas would be a good move for them; that way there would be no import fees when we secede from the US!

My thoughts exactly

gazpacho

February 12, 2013, 07:59 PM

Move to Vegas! No income taxes, lots of cheap houses and industrial space.

Plus it would be a LOT cheaper to attend ShotShow, logistically speaking.

Texasrpbrock

February 12, 2013, 10:32 PM

Texas... Why you ask, we have our own power grid and lots of oil to convert into plastic and we happen to be pretty gun friendly. But, bring your own water as we're in a bit of a drought. (We wouldn't be if everyone would quit running their sprinkler systems 24/7 in the metro areas.

Midland, Texas would be a great new location. Or 200 aches of mine near Sweetwater and I'll provide the water!